


Talk it Out

by starsgazingback



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Communication, F/M, Fluff, Just Friends, The Naked Now, Vague discussion of sex, data and tash finally talk about their encounter, discussion of objectification and sexism, it's implied at the end that they are just friends, post-episode: s01e03 the naked now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 17:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30024957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsgazingback/pseuds/starsgazingback
Summary: After avoiding him for weeks, Tasha and Data finally sit down to discuss their relationship after the events of "The Naked Now". They ultimately decide to put it all behind them, but only after confiding in each other about similar painful histories.Basically just good communication and an excuse for cute character moments. I honestly did not double check facts or details, so I might get some tiny things wrong (like their ranks? idek), but this is canon compliant.
Relationships: Data & Tasha Yar, Data/Tasha Yar
Kudos: 4





	Talk it Out

After a bruise-inducing mission, Tasha was looking forward to a quiet drink and maybe some conversation in Ten Forward. Most of her friends were on shift, so she was pleased to see Commander Data leaning stiffly against the bar, conversing with a waiter. When he noticed her, he nodded politely in her direction and promptly turned to leave. “Hey, wait, Commander. Have a drink with me. I could use some company.” After the day she’d had, and now in a safe, public atmosphere, Tasha felt more relaxed than she had in weeks. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant, but I have just remembered a place I need to be.”

Tasha couldn’t help but laugh at his poor excuse. “Commander, are you avoiding me?”

“No,” he looked almost worried. “I simply thought that was the polite reply. You are inviting me to stay out of obligation but would clearly prefer if I leave. Since I have no need for sustenance or socialization, and you do, it seems fitting that I go, and you remain.”

“What makes you think I only want to spend time with you out of obligation? I thought we were friends.” She playfully nudged his arm. 

Data tilted his head and eyed her cautiously. “I presumed you did not enjoy my company. In social situations, you often leave a room if I enter. And you spend considerable effort to avoid looking in my direction. I also have other reasons to believe I make you uncomfortable. I would prefer not to do so.”

“Aw, Data.” Tasha looked disgruntled and ushered him to a quiet corner table. “Look, it’s true I’ve been avoiding you lately. I _knew_ you would figure it out and I should’ve talked with you about it a while ago, but it didn’t seem to impact our work, so I let it slide. I’m sorry.”

“No apology necessary.” Data folded his hands on the table and waited patiently. “What do we need to talk about? Have I…mis-stepped in some way?”

“ _No_. Definitely not. You’ve been very patient and understanding.” She sighed and looked out the observation window. “This is really hard for me.”

“If there is some subject which you find painful to discuss, Lieutenant, please do not force yourself to continue.”

She shook her head and turned back to him. “Sometimes what comes easiest, what’s most _comfortable_ , isn’t the same as what’s right, or necessary. I’ll be ok. It’s just a little… embarrassing to talk about.”

“As an android, I comprehend the basic concepts of embarrassment and shame, but I do not share that human assessment of behavior. You do not need to worry about feeling embarrassed. You can tell me anything.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I know I can trust you. The thing is, you do feel _respect_ for certain people, and I guess I’m worried about losing that from you, which is probably silly. But I look up to you and I worry about jeopardizing our friendship.” She sighed. “Ok, here it goes. That…stuff…that happened between us, the day we were all infected and acting strangely? We need to talk about it. And I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you away so much.”

He tilted his head and kept his voice low. “You _wish_ to discuss our sexual encounter?”

Tasha nodded. “I know I was sort of gruff with you after we recovered. I was embarrassed. And, well, logically I knew you weren’t gonna start… _bragging_ about it. But you do have a habit of discussing sensitive topics with your friends. Or sometimes, anyone who will listen.”

As their friendship had progressed, Data had learned to identify when Lt. Yar was actually annoyed and when she was only joking with her companions. This, he determined, was the latter.

She continued, “I was mortified at the thought that you might, I don’t know, let slip what we did. To whoever would answer your questions. I know it was a new experience for you and you might want to talk about it. And maybe some part of me was afraid of the things other men have said about me in the past. It was irrational to think you'd behave that way too.”

“I understand.” His face was neutral, and his hands remained folded on the table, but Tasha found a comfort in his stoicism. “Many people have pointed out that my candor can be socially unacceptable.”

She wrinkled her nose with a polite laugh. “I guess I was so worked up about how I felt, and focused on trying to move on from it, I neglected to think about how you might be affected. So, _just_ this once, let’s talk about it. If you have questions or, I don’t know, any reactions, I’ll try to help.”

“That is kind,” Data’s forehead wrinkled thoughtfully. “But I do not have any questions about our encounter. You were very receptive to my inquiries during the event and I was able to monitor your levels of enjoyment despite my own incapacitation.”

“Yeah, I guess I was pretty vocal…” Tasha’s cheeks turned a light pink. “Wait, you could monitor my… You could tell when I…”

“Achieved climax? Yes. I believe I mentioned that.”

“Oh for the love of-“ She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You probably did but I was kind of distracted. I guess it was silly of me to think you’d have questions about sex. I’m sure you’ve read every book, so to speak.”

He nodded, slightly deterred from continuing their conversation due to her increasing embarrassment. “It is not that I do not have questions about sexual relationships. I simply have no further need to dwell on this specific encounter. In fact, if you prefer Lt., I could simply delete the necessary memory files and save what I learned from them.”

“No!” She squared her shoulders and raked her fingers nervously through her cropped hair. “No, you don’t have to do that. Actually, I think I prefer that you don’t.”

“Very well.” His eyes roamed her face and body for social cues. “Lt, please do not feel any obligation to discuss details which make you uncomfortable. You do not owe me any explanation.” He paused to emphasize how serious he was. “If you are open to discussing it further, I am only puzzled by your reaction after we recovered from the virus. You were ashamed that someone might learn about what we had done. Because I am an android. Is that correct?”

She met his eyes then and the blush left her face. Instead, she looked grave, almost upset. She opened her mouth to speak several times, before settling on, “No.”

She said it firmly, then reached for his hands still folded before them. He accepted her hand curiously. Her lips pursed as she continued, “Ok. Maybe a little. But, Data, this is _very_ important to me. I need you to understand that my shame isn’t because you’re an android and I think you’re…lesser or somehow unworthy, or whatever else you might be thinking.”

“I do not understand.”

“Data, I’ve had some unpleasant experiences. And my home world is about as hospitable to young women as a blackhole is to starships. Beyond all that, I worked very hard to earn my position here, and just like you, there are people who don’t think I deserve my job, or that I can perform my duties as well as my colleagues who are male, or from other worlds, with different backgrounds.” She shook her head and leaned in closer. “A long time ago, even before the academy, I learned to put on a certain…bravado. Like a persona. I behave in certain ways so that people will take me seriously, not underestimate me. On my planet, it was a matter of survival. But even at the academy, even here on the Enterprise, I try to make sure everyone sees me just the way I _want_ to be seen. Responsible. Capable. Serious.”

“I think I understand,” Data replied. “I have had similar…experiences. I consider my behavior and service to be the best way to prove my capability to those who might doubt my sentience.”

Tasha nodded gravely. “The virus was freeing in a way,” she continued. “I guess I didn’t realize how deeply I had repressed some of my feelings. It brought everything to the surface and all I could think about afterwards was how ashamed I would feel if more people had seen me that way. I have a reputation to maintain,” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “But Data, none of that had anything to do with you or the fact that you’re an android.”

He pondered her confession and filed several important details away for later examination. “Thank you for confiding in me. I believe I now understand why our encounter was best kept secret. I too spent considerable time thinking about my behavior. I have maintained your request for silence on the matter of our relationship.”

“Thanks,” she answered sheepishly.

“However, you answered ‘maybe a little’. I am correct, then, in my assumption that you feel particularly embarrassed about having sex with an android, more so than if I had been human. And this compounds the shame you felt behaving in a way that does not befit your rank or projected self-image?”

She took a minute to process what he was asking, then squeezed his hand firmly before retreating and folding her hands on the table to mirror his. “Data. I would’ve been embarrassed no matter _who_ I slept with. But I was very ashamed of myself after the fact, because I know that I chose you specifically because I guessed that you were inexperienced and couldn’t feel physical pleasure. I wanted a partner who would be…malleable…and entirely focused on my needs. It was selfishly motivated and shortsighted and,” she scoffed and bit the inside of her cheek to stop from tearing up. “Data, I’m ashamed I treated you that way. I’m worried about what other people might think about how I treated you. They might think I was…using you. And maybe they wouldn’t be entirely wrong.”

“I am still unclear. You recognized that you needed certain traits in a partner, traits I embody. I willingly provided what you requested. Neither of us expressed discomfort or displeasure, until after we recovered. But you worry about how others will interpret our encounter. And you feel that you used me in some way?”

“Yes. Data, I promise you, I have nothing but respect for you, not just because of your rank, but because you’re _you_. And I value our friendship. But knowing that I chose you specifically because you were an android… Well, I’m ashamed of myself. And I know some people would think I did it because I thought of you as an object or something. Which isn’t true!” She was visibly upset now but maintained composure. Tasha didn’t care, as long as she could get him to understand. “I do _not_ think of you as a thing. Believe me, I know what it’s like to constantly second guess if everyone around you is only humoring you, pretending to allow you some dignity. I would never want to do that to you or anyone else. So I feel guilty that I treated you that way, or that others might think that I did…”

Data tilted his head, considering. “So you are not ashamed at having a sexual experience with an android?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Then I am not harmed. You should not feel shame or guilt.”

“Data, it’s not that simple. I was under the influence but I still made a decision about you based on the fact that you’re an android. I feel like I _objectified_ you. I worry that others will perceive it that way and feel justified in their own mistreatment of you. I feel like I _used_ you. It’s awful to me because it’s the sort of situation I’ve spent my life avoiding with other people and I ended up subjecting my friend to it.”

“Tasha,” Data used her personal name, hoping to establish trust and calm. His voice was quiet and slow. “I do not feel used. And I do not think you treated me like an object.”

She looked frustrated and sad. “Data. I…”

“Please understand that I have learned to tell the difference between being _of use_ and being used. Tasha, you said you sought out a partner you could trust, someone who would not use you for their own pleasure. You were correct in your assumptions. I do not feel pleasure. Nevertheless, I derived a certain satisfaction from providing you with yours. And now, after discussing the matter with you, I am honored you felt you could trust me. I was _curious_ about sex and you were extremely helpful in sating some of that curiosity. I hope _you_ do not feel used.”

“No, of course not. You mean, you actually enjoyed it?” She looked relieved.

“As much as I am capable of enjoying any activity. Yes.”

“I’m glad. But I don’t know if enjoying it excuses the way I…”

“Tasha.” He spoke more firmly now. “I do not think you would feel this distraught about how you may have caused me harm if you truly thought of me as inferior. Your concern for my well-being, as well as your concern for how others might interpret our relationship, proves to me that you did not… _use_ me. You enjoyed an activity with a friend you could trust. Does that seem…accurate?”

Tasha wiped a tear away and felt a weight evaporate from her shoulders. “Yeah. Yes, I think so.”

“Good. Then, per your original request, we never need to speak of it again. Any lingering curiosity I have about human sexuality is not worth risking your discomfort or our friendship.”

“Commander?”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“I’m really glad it happened. But let’s never do that again.” She laughed and could’ve sworn she saw a smirk tug at the corners of Data’s mouth.

“Agreed. Since our encounter, I have deduced that a relationship between officers is too complicated. I am looking forward to spending time with you again. As friends.”

Tasha didn’t feel the need to point out to her friend that looking forward to something was an emotional response. “I missed you too, Data."


End file.
